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Hi! In October 2010, I moved from San Francisco to Manhattan with my husband, daughter, and twin boys. Since then I've been busy teaching myself and my kids how to hail a cab, fly a kite in Central Park, and walk across the Brooklyn Bridge with style. And a few other things. I write about those other things here. Thanks for stopping by!
Email questions to sharonbeesley@gmail.com.

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5/16/12

My Secret To a Clean (looking) House

Owen had a surprise playdate show up at my apartment last week. His mom dropped him off in the lobby luckily. I didn't want her to see the disastrous state my house was in. As soon as everyone got into the house, I ran to my bedroom started stuffing clothes and junk under my bed to make it look presentable. Then I moved to the kids room and started the process again. The little boy walked in and asked what I was doing. I told him I was organizing. He looked utterly confused. It was at that moment that I realized he must have a way cleaner mother than me.

I mean, haven't you resorted to stuffing closets and under beds in a pinch? I can't be the only adult to using this cleaning method regularly. It's fabulous I must say! I clean out from under my bed just so I can restuff it a week later.

I warned his mom that he might start squeezing all his toys under his bed and claim, "But that's how Owen's mom cleans her room!"

My kids are so lucky to have a mom that shows them how to get a clean house in 16 minutes or less. What's your secret/cheating tactic to getting you house to at least look clean?

PS
I found the yellow dress (pictured above and below) under my bed the other day with a huge orange marker stain on it. I had to throw it out. You'd think I would have learned my lesson. Nope!

PPS I'm running in the 2012 NYC Marathon, but I need sponsors! Please click here to find out how to donate. We're up to $552! Thanks Stein Family for you recent donation!

I throw all my clothes and miscellaneous items on a small desk in the corner of our room (hidden behind a chair). Then, I mentally block out images of a rising clothes pile. I mean, the whole rest of the room is clean, right?!

My friend came over to pick up her daughter from a playdate, turned to me and said, "Coming here always makes me realize that my place isn't so messy!" OUCH! Obviously I need your 16 minute method around here. For the record, my place is spotless on Saturdays....but only that day.

Oh man, the things people blurt out. An old friend of mine once told our co-workers (right in front of me) that I USED to wear make-up and do my hair nice when we were in High School. Thanks for informing everone that I haven't always been so messy looking! lol Some people just don't know any better.

So honest! My worst cleaning secret is I don't own a dust pan. Everything from the kitchen goes into the garage (which never gets sweeped.) Everything from the bathrooms goes in the hallway to be vacummed up.

I love this, Sharon! :) My mother had the same cleaning regimen growing up! I'm a closet piler myself. Oh, and I have a junk room. I've started to ask girls I meet if, at any moment in time, all their clean clothes are put away. The answers are astounding! And the ones that actually do put them away? I'm keeping an eye on them..... that's just weird, I tell ya! :P

We are in the process of selling our house, so I bought a sea-grass storage bench for the end of our bed, so we could throw anything in there quickly when we have a surprise showing. It's so handy! For the first time in my life- and probably only because our house is for sale- there is absolutely nothing under my bed, which makes me feel very adult, except for the part where there are 3 "miscellaneous" laundry baskets of junk on the shelf in my closet.